Children came home. Tommy had a good day and Noah only got in trouble once. Sarah, however, didn’t turn in two assignments. When quizzed she had several reasons it was not her fault. “I ran out of notebook paper and you never put more in my backpack.” I have told her repeatedly where in my office there are about two dozen packs of notebook paper, a dozen folders, a couple dozen spiral notebooks, pencils and lots more office supplies that I stockpile whenever they are on sale. “You didn’t give me some plain white paper.” She asked for this last night as I was turning off her light and saying goodnight. “I had to do Thinking Day.” Umm, Dad and I stayed up all night Friday night preparing for this and it was over at noon on Saturday. The excuses went on and on but she remains convinced that this was not her fault.

I ran up to the store for some face powder and on the way home the only working car we own’s transmission started to go out. The fun never stops over here. I leave in 30 minutes for cookie booth lottery. Just writing that makes my stomach churn.